EX30 First Ride - Broken

I take the EX30 for its first long ride and end up getting a car ride.
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[@1young-geezer]

That was just great that you spelled out the consequences of failure like you did Marty. Yes, you're right, most of us aren't in a "repairable" location. And just what problems might we get ourselves into trying to solve a problem like yours specifically. Without resignation you did a pretty fair and even assessment, and thorough explanation of how you looked into the problem and the procedures you took, all to inform us out here, and so thank you.

[@Blox117]

if by repairable you mean it breaking down in the middle of a ride then yes

[@1young-geezer]

@@Blox117 I was referring to the comment Marty made about so many riders in his area having repair expertise, and acknowledging that many of us elsewhere might find the kind of troubleshooting and repair kinda beyond our personal abilities and/or local rider base. And a repair center being far enough away to be a costly hassle. That kinda thing. I know that's my situation here in New Mexico. But yes, you are also right.

[@Blox117]

@@1young-geezer you can't put Lego bricks together? Jesus christ, people in all centuries before this one were able to repair pretty much everything they owned. I could understand if it requires you to read circuit diagrams or write code to compute the rienmann zeta function. But dam it's just plug in, solder, screw.

[@pacochawa2746]

People are bred to be stupid. Its called the government? Dont blame the effect bur the cause.

[@markricharddavies]

When I first got my new Master I had the same problem, two batteries came with little to no voltage. My range was under 20 miles .. What a drag with a new wheel!

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Two? Wow

[@word2RG]

BMS did its job. Nothing to complain about. QC on the batteries could be an issue but I think this a big step in the right direction for Begode. 👍

[@isthereanyfood]

Thanks for the great vid Marty! Such a pity... the EX30 is looking to be one of the most promising wheels out there and the most promising by Begode. I would say the Sherman S is up there too... and the Commander Pro. I especially have my eyes on the EX30 because it would be firmware flashable and therefore moddable. So then we could fool around with some values like PWM tiltback speed, low discharge, phase amps and so on.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Absolutely. Really, all the current Begode wheels are open to firmware mods. I have custom firmware (thanks Freestyler) on my Master Pro. My choice is the EX30.

[@icafese]

Thank You, Marty to point out how dangerous and expensive this issue is. Guess it is 50E cells? I did a few videos on this topic. Roger will soon open front left battery pack to learn that BMS has burn marks. BMS repair or replacement needed. Please, be careful and keep us updated! ❤

[@QMAXIMUS]

Well shit, right before my EX30 should be shipping from Ewheels, you got me scared now Marty. 😬

[@eRideLife]

"I'm not gonna buy 'em all" famous last words!

[@ranchranchers9587]

Doh. My old 2400wh monster ticking along did 68km on gravel tracks, 2 bars left out of 5 power. was maybe 3.5 hour ride with pie stop. i would not want that squeaking battery near me. that is not good. id want it far away ha. Good it didn't cut out, thats a big relief. Wear all the gear people.

[@RoyCarter]

I'm still on the Nik+

[@ThePawel36]

Hehe, me too. Almost 4k mileage total. Great wheel. Those new wheels don't even compare..:)

[@kirbyscovers]

Yeah me too - going on 2 years with 1 tire change and not a single problem with that wheel and rides high 20's like a dream -- but no suspension lol.

[@stealtherider3008]

That's why I like the V13 and S22Pro because it has the smart BMS. Cool video Marty.

[@pavelk.3367]

Thera Tears have been great, I put a couple drops before each ride and it helps better than any other eye drops I've used. I often put my face shield up when I ride and eye drying is reduced substantially.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

I wear contacts - most eye drops are not compatible. Also, when you reach mid-50's you have dry eyes much more which causes tearing. Thanks for the suggestion though 👊

[@Dogo.R]

​@@ElectricUnicycles Contact solution can be used as eye drops.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

@@Dogo.R I have eye drops for Contacts. Really not effective for riding 30+mph 🙂

[@BlackTalon53]

@@ElectricUnicycles I use a ski helmet with a foam rimmed, lowerable visor for riding - still excellent protection, you can still feel the air on your face but the wind is completely kept out of your eyes. Uvex Visor is the make IIRC.

[@OnAirPromo]

Ay, yi yi. Well, great video and of course I love the beach/water visuals. You'll be back on the road in no time, man. Too bad you don't have other backup wheels... Oh. 😄

[@ElectricUnicycles]

LOL

[@supercurioTube]

3:58 the Sherman S already relies on a coil shock on by the way, so there's no need to switch to one. My unit has high stiction, not what you'd expect from a coil shock - which is not yet been resolved by LeaperKim. Agree it's more power-user friend to be able to swap the shock to something else standard, or even swap just the spring if needed.

[@kenspaceman3938]

I really like the naming of places that you have placed on interesting surroundings. I feel real bad about your experience with the faulty battery pack. As you say, you are fortunate to have a knowledgeable EUC community around you and you yourself being an engineer have a good position when something like this happens. I personally have no EUC community at all in my country, no repair shop, not even an EUC dealer in this country. So I’d have to ship my wheel to another country for repairs.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

It's people in your situation that I'm thinking about. Very difficult. On the positive side, this is rare. First time it's happened to me with 35+ wheels over 6-years.

[@kenspaceman3938]

@@ElectricUnicycles I’ve got an Mten3 ordered, still sailing on some cargo ship on the ocean. No local seller so had no other choice. I hope it’s battery pack is good. If I’m lucky I’ll receive it before summer, maybe never, have to wait and see. It’s small enough that I have a safe way to handle any safety issue. Been dreaming of a really small wheel that I can ride indoors and take easily with me in a backpack when going places, for those last few kilometers.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

@@kenspaceman3938 The Mten3/4 is perfect for your use case. Generally they have been very reliable and tough wheels.

[@kenspaceman3938]

@@ElectricUnicycles I already received the protective custom made “suit” for it from New Zeeland, took over a month to receive that, but I’m very happy with it…now just would need that EUC for it.👌 Been waiting for like two months already, partly because of the lunar new year holidays in China, partly because of very slow shipping. I will not do any jumping or any other radical stuff either with this baby, I don’t weigh so much either…and as y’all already know I like to ride leasurely…well okay then, snail around.🙂

[@BlackTalon53]

LOL that dog at 10.26 really wanted to get himself a piece of you

[@pantherpev]

Begode quality never disappoints

[@icafese]

Please, check Martys previous video on EX30. He seems be very happy with its build quality. Life is Mistery to be solved. ❤️

[@ullle66]

@@greenwave819Oh yeah, please ask them…. “Above” other brands is certainly a bit of an overstatement. Since Mid 2021 their battery BMS is on par with that of older competion wheels. They still dont have any type of smart BMS or diagnostics like the othr brands now establish. Sure, their quality has become better in general. BMS deserve the name now. Motherboards got stronger and more reliable. I am with you on that point. Unfortunately their “end quality control” is still a shame. I received a Master with wrong power buttons(have been from another wheel) , so that it couldnt be turned ON AT ALL, just as example. Means they never even tried powering on the wheel in the factory. And since 7 years they still didnt get rid of their hot charge port. Saving 50 cents for a reverse protection diode. Just my 2 cents

[@laurv8370]

That is a pity. Thank you for sharing that. You are lucky with the community of riders there. In my case if this happens when I am riding in some remote area, I am fu#@$ed... Hopefully you can get a replacement.

[@MikaelLevoniemi]

Just like with any other vehicles i buy my rides locally so i can actually get them locally maintained as well. It's more than helpful to have a shop near me that has the capacity to fix any issues that might come up. Sure wheels are a bit more expensive, but that's a small price to pay for convenience.

[@GitDatPC]

I'm getting a Frankenstein'd 4500wh EXN today 😀 I'll have to let you know how that goes 👍 lol

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Sounds interesting. Good luck :-)

[@Blox117]

mine is 3100wh lol

[@josiahenyart]

Marty, my son was born in California. I wish I was into EUC when I lived there. Hope to ride with you one day a little envious of your weather now I’m sorry about the issue with the wheel. I’ve been having my own problems with the battery on the V13.

[@greensark2417]

What kind of problems with the battery?

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Yeah, California is EUC riding nirvana. Sorry to here about your V13

[@KiwiMark67]

My Sherman S can ride at 33 - 34 kph average speed, with lots of 50 - 60 kph riding and get 130 - 140 km range. For my riding the Sherman S has all plenty enough speed, power & range. I have over 1,000 km on my Sherman S and have had no problem with anything on it. I have changed to NyloNove pedals and added Grizzla Flow pads, I also fitted the Leaper Kim better seat and side pads that I ordered from AliExpress. I'm very happy with my Sherman S and it fits my needs/wants perfectly. Having said that, I do hope that things work out well with the EX30 and that design/build issues are fixed with the Extreme Bull Commander Pro. The more good options the better. Different riders have different wants/needs and it is also good just having more competition.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

The Sherman S is an nice wheel for sure. It's great that we have so many nice wheels to choose from right now.

[@mattca353]

Marty : "As you can see, Im really hunting for bad things to say" *The dormant demon sleeping in every begode wheel instantly wokes up* : "Do not fear, fam, ive got this!" Marty : "Wait, what!? Noooo..!"

[@ElectricUnicycles]

LOL 🤣

[@supercurioTube]

A Begode wheel not charging to full is the most serious alarm the system has to report issues, although the new BMS added a beeper. As soon as it happens: - the packs should be unplugged and investigated - not trying to charge the wheel further - never riding the wheel Charge is stopping when one of the packs reached an over-voltage condition, hence the seriousness of the situation. It is typically caused by one pack being defective - lowering the total voltage of all packs combined. Bad soldering, bad BMS PCB or bad cells - which is just as serious. If riding in such conditions, it will likely drain some cells below safe levels and even potentially negative voltages. All this makes them prone to catch fire. Smart BMS address that by monitoring at cell group level, and would have forced Marty to stop earlier. So in a way, not blaming Marty here but don't go for a ride if the wheel interrupted it's charge 🤞

[@arevee9429]

I don't think I heard the V13 mentioned in Marty's consideration for the next big wheel. I haven't ridden the V13, but it looks scary big.

[@pacochawa2746]

Yup we need fix codes like the xars do!

[@Trener_Artem]

Well thats unfortunate. I hope you will get new battery as soon as possible) thats potentially my next wheel, but im 100% sure i wont be going for the first batch)

[@mr_wrongway]

Chris Chaputs car is a lot cooperate cooler than yours Marty! Even tho I don’t like cars, Chris’ car I approve more!

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Why did I know that you would love his car, LOL

[@ngo3657]

2 packs in series what could possibly go wrong 🤣

[@roghaj]

Who installed those packs? :)

[@TheDownloader86]

That alarm is really stupid, but at least there is great safety feature in Begode wheels, it gave you tiltback and not let you charge the bad pack.

[@Reawer]

now THAT'S a jacket! Not even the coyotes is gonna get thru that!

[@ElectricUnicycles]

LOL

[@EverlastingEclipses]

As much as i hate to fanboying over one specific model. But i have to say it. Forgive me Marty.. *Sherman S seems more and more, the best wheel of the year.*

[@ElectricUnicycles]

I'm glad you're enjoying the Sherman S

[@SwitchUpYt]

I just rode the EX30 it’s less favourable compared to the Commander Pro - really bulky feeling ride in my opinion

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Wow. Can't say I agree but good to hear another perspective.

[@SwitchUpYt]

@@ElectricUnicycles yeah perhaps I was a bit OTT I just much preferred the pro

[@xorbe2]

131V / 32 = 4.1V per cell, that's basically full, there is only a little bit between 4.1 and 4.2, it's a common safety margin. I have a lot of equipment, but no high voltage variable charger ... it would probably be easier to lower all four packs to the same voltage (though a definite pita that would require half a Saturday of babysitting batteries.) Serial packs seems like a bad idea ... are the packs pair-aware for balancing?

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Each battery pack is 67.2-volts 🙂

[@xorbe2]

@@ElectricUnicycles Yes that's correct, 2x67.2V. Did I say something incorrect in my post?

[@xorbe2]

@@greenwave819 Yes I explained the likely reason for 131 vs 134.4V

[@coolhawk2003]

@@xorbe2 134.4v. I think you can charge up to 4.7v so maybe 30 battery and be like 4.5v or 4.55v for full.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

@@xorbe2 I don't think you watched the whole video. One of the 67.2-volt battery packs is bad (33-volts). So I see no correlation with anything you wrote towards the problem with this wheel. Re-read what you wrote 🙂

[@wheelydope]

Great points, what are you supposed to do if this happens? I doubt FedEx or UPS would even accept a buzzing package full of lithium ion batteries. You couldn’t just throw it away. I’m in Oklahoma, so the closest repair center would be Arizona about 17-18 hours away by car. I have an EX30 coming soon too 😅

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Probably toss it in the weekly trash just before they pick it up :-)

[@scottsum1319]

Easy pheasy. Goog for li ion disposal for your area. In my city, lots of pls will accept li ion (other rechargeables) for disposal. It would be waste tho. Another is to cut out the pack & store cells individually & repurpose them for other usage. Lots of local custom batt guys will either buy em or repurpose them for customers

[@Blox117]

the ignorance and inability to do basic repairs is scary

[@scottsum1319]

@@Blox117 You mean the iPhone Samsung HondaYamaSuzuKawi brigades? 😁. They dont get those things are mfgr'd by mega billion multinational corps. Wheels OTOH are a niche within a niche akin to a cottage industry incomparo. Plus its also China companies. Nothing against made in China as they do made some fine products but ingeneral, most products are made to the lowest common denominator with the same practise in sourcing parts. Wheels are for diyers or otherwise, go buy a Honda or Toyota 😂

[@Blox117]

@@scottsum1319 these are easier to repair than those, because those brands intentionally make things hard to repair so you buy new.

[@frigidtsunami]

I'm not surrounded by expertise or hookups by these companies. I would be 4k$ short n many pissed. I'm sure you will be up n about in no time. Need to see the EX30 potential.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Well, you wouldn't lose $4k. It's a new wheel. The battery is under warranty. You would be inconvenienced. These things do happen so I'm not bothered too much.

[@Blox117]

3800

[@scottsum1319]

Too bad Marty. O well at least the batt issue is easily pin pointed & just as easily replaceable. I'm pretty sure there's a li ion disposable facility in every major city. In my city, there's like multi outlets eg. Bestbuy & other electronics centers plus other hardware stores that'll accept li ion batts for disposal. No biggie really but just a waste as all. A better solution would be to contact a custom batt specialist that can recycle them (ala Roger) with a new same config BMS or repack them in a diff config for other purposes eg esk8/escoots. This is why we need multi wheels 😁

[@makennacox5226]

Was the suspension pumped up or is that as high as it gets

[@ElectricUnicycles]

I'm experimenting with the pressure. On this ride it was closer to 100 but for me I think ~180 will be best.

[@mikeintampa250]

Chris ride of shame immediately followed by Roger phone call of shame, including heckling, that was rough, lol. Seriously, I had a similar issue once and I sent the whole wheel back because the dealer didn't know what to do but now they know and have told me that if it happens again to just send the battery pack back instead of the whole wheel. The question I have is, if the pack is beeping will FedEx or UPS take a beeping package back, it seems suspect.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Have the pack the battery in some sound absorbing material so the buzzing can't be heard :-)

[@mikeintampa250]

@@ElectricUnicycles yes, in that case just like with my Master I think this modular design is actually helpful when you have a bad pack like that you could just take off the pack and send it to your dealer for a replacement pack or have your existing pack fixed. That's what Alien is doing now, to make the whole process easier, quicker, and less expensive. For me I had to send the whole Master back because I was the first one with the problem, but now it is my understanding they just have you send the individual packs back now that they know what the problem is and how to quickly take care of it.

[@mikeintampa250]

@@ElectricUnicycles Lol

[@pacochawa2746]

Dont you love modular helmets!

[@grzib]

Can you ride it hand standing ?

[@tvbic]

Can someone give a brief description?

[@cegli214]

My MCM5 is dead with almost the same issue. Begode doesn't have any spare battery packs I can buy, so the wheel is sitting there with bad batteries. Only got 4 months of use out of it. Not worth buying Begode products given they don't support their wheels after they move onto a new product.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

That is a risk. Frankly it's a risk with any manufacturer. The MCM5 is and old wheel and they are now starting to make the MCM6. You safest approach is to buy the most current wheel which will have the longest period of support.

[@alexutlang]

Typical begode quality. Best performance but so stressful to own.

[@bkanegson]

OMG, was concerned that thing might combust in the car. Or in the shop, and set off the other wheels. That buzzing is like a bomb ticking. Wheel should be (re-)engineered to make reading individual voltages from the screen or app, without opening it up. We don't/ can't/ know what exactly is wrong with the bad pack. Begode is still slacking on safety (and QC) and I would not even bring that wheel into my house, let alone charge it inside. Nice as it might be to ride for the first few miles, not worth the danger/ headache. They just don't seem to learn, IMHO. Safety is a real issue. This can't be sugarcoated. (This may sound overly dramatic, but there is a history here. And Begode has responded not by radically updating engineering but rather by recommending in print charging outside and replacing all batteries annually. Yeah, right.)

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Fortunately it looks like the next Begode wheel will be coming with a smart BMS like KingSong and Inmotion.

[@coolhawk2003]

Don't diy your begode helps alot too

[@thienpham317]

Thanks again. I'll wait till they get all the bugs 🐛 🙄 fixed before I get one. Till then I'll have to stick with my the S22 or Master.

[@jonpaton4449]

Chilton's?

[@ElectricUnicycles]

🤔

[@COBARHORSE1]

Lots of good info Marty. I hope gotway can fix these issues in future versions. And I really like that you added place names of where you were on the ride. I know you probably have a lot of things running on your phone, but would you consider adding a screenshot of a GPS track to show us where you went? As always, thanks for making these videos.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

I'd love to add the GPS overlay and may be able to do so in the future but right now it's too inconvenient

[@COBARHORSE1]

@@ElectricUnicycles the GPS tracker I use for making maps is called "Geo Tracker". If you adjust the settings so it doesn't record too many points, it doesn't use much battery. I then export the track, and upload it to Google my maps, to make a map that I can share with the group.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

@@COBARHORSE1 Yeah, I've been using GeoTracker on all my rides for over 6-years now. I post screenshots on some of my rides. I thought you were referring to a "live" moving map overlay

[@TheDwilliams1000]

How many wheels do you own? Can you name them all please?

[@ElectricUnicycles]

I think 11 right now 🙂

[@srqTagle]

Isn’t that a brand new EUC? $4000?

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Yes, brand new. Price varies between $3200 and $4000 depending on where you buy it. The battery is under warranty.

[@2slice805]

Gotway just needs to leave the market to Inmotion,veteran and KingSong. With all the years they’ve been making wheels, they cannot get shyt right. There is always something wrong with each wheel they produce. Very disappointing

[@ElectricUnicycles]

That would be horrible for SO many people. Nearly everyone in Southern California rides Gotway wheels. Anyone who wants power buys their wheels. Facts. But I get how some people have no interest in their wheels and for those it's great that there are a "few" options.

[@X_iCjay]

I love my Master Pro, Sherman Max, Sherman S, Monster Pro, Ex20-c38, Mten3 and 4, Ninebot z10, Nicola Ar+, v11. It's time to prototype an American made wheel. The wonderful thing about desktop CNC and 3d printing. Get my batteries from Elon.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

You're becoming a collector CJ. Do you need an intervention? 😁

[@X_iCjay]

@@ElectricUnicycles Actually thinking about giving away a few, I have two z10's a new v11, and perhaps a Nicola

[@stevedavis2545]

🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♂️ v11 would be heavenly

[@Rmstrjim]

What did you dooooooo???

[@jonpaton4449]

L.A.sure has lots of concrete

[@X_iCjay]

Begode,, more of that standard substandard quality control. Why would a professional rider insist on anything less? 🤣

[@ullle66]

There comes another problem for people without your “connections” and community. It is TOTALLY forbidden to send defect LiIon cells packs, may it be cargo flight or even just ground transport on land. Thats kind of a criminal act…. So distributors telling you to send such a wheel/ battery pack to them for a warranty claim, have no idea what they are doing. Just saying… The only “correct” way for a distributor is to send a new pack and tell you to dispose and/or get rid of the old pack. Or: Bring it to a electronic mechanic, like Roger, someone who knows what he is doing. So its VERY difficult for the “normal” enduser

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Exactly. Hi Ulf!

[@patrickmckowen2999]

Good vid, could have happened to any EUC manufacturer, but we all know it happens more to Begode. I'm looking forward to getting a perfectly functional T4🤔😂 Cheer

[@pacochawa2746]

I love begode but damn come on, you know this guy is a utuber lol. Dont send him a dud lol.

[@VictorBreazzeal]

man if only you had the V13 you would have made it XD i cant believe it didnt make it tho that is crazy

[@ElectricUnicycles]

Failed battery

[@ElectricUnicycles]

@Dev Guy He said the V13 RANGE is trash 🙂

[@Duf]

Nice feature to have an infinite annoying tone, groundbreaking.

[@ElectricUnicycles]

LOL. I thought so too

[@andresscl2002]

Send it back at dealers cost (guarantee) never buy the brand again

[@richguy32]

damn im early

[@goinpostal]

It's a Begode.. what do you expect? At least it didn't throw you in the bushes..

[@pacochawa2746]

light it on fire lol

[@Gi3style]

Begode....

[@VictorBreazzeal]

that got way qualitities will not be fun if they keep up with this

[@QQ251647742]

Begode wheel has tilt back? I thought they disable that setting in all of their wheels lol.

[@steveo6034]

No they just allow the customer to do that lol

[@ElectricUnicycles]

It's "low battery" tilt-back which every wheel made has always had and cannot be disabled.